A Very Knitty Christmas

Although I do many crafts, when the weather gets cold I feel like hunkering down and starting some knit work. I have decided that I will make all (or at least some) of my Christmas presents this year. So here are some of my first completed projects:

Tim the Elephant and Edward the Mouse

This is a present for my best friend's little boy. The elephant pattern is from Knitted Toys: 25 Fresh and Fabulous Designs by Zoe Mellor. Very cute. I sewed the ears to the body, as they seemed easy to pull off. I also decided to add buttons for the eyes as the pattern indicated. However, they could certainly be a choking hazard for young children. The yarn is Yarn Bee - Baby Bee in a light blue.

The mouse was from the Garden Mice Mobile pattern in Itty Bitty Nursery by Susan B. Anderson. The mobile was cute, but I just wanted a simple mouse to go with the elephant. I used Yarn Bee - Baby Bee yarn in white and pink.



Koolhaas Hat

This hat was made for my other best friend. Years ago she made me a beautiful crocheted blanket and a couple of scarves. This year I thought that I would grace her with my own knit skills. The pattern is from Interweave Knits pattern store. The designer happens to be the same designer as my men's Cobblestone Sweater. It seems that I am a fan of Jared Flood's work. The yarn is Lion Brand - Vanna's Choice Brick Red.




Tretta Hat

This hat is a gift though I don't know who it is for yet. I like the pattern, but I created it with a thicker yarn and larger needles than the pattern called for so it is a bit longer than I would prefer. I chose larger needles, because that is what I already had. I used a size 6 seed bead, but the large yarn makes the beads almost disappear. Despite these setbacks I would definitely do it again. Only this time, I will take some rows from the bottom. The yarn is Lion Brand - Vanna's Choice Pea Green. The pattern is by grumperina.



A Simple Beanie

This hat is a Christmas present for a male friend. The design is my own, but nothing special, just a simple beanie. The yarn is Lion Brand Yarn - Vanna's Choice in Espresso, Pea Green, and Dusty Blue.

I Am Not a Tumor

A coworker and friend at work was recently diagnosed with a tumor in his spine. I wanted something that could cheer him up, so I decided to make a softie tumor. Perhaps it will be something that he could poke pins into like a voodoo doll.

So here is the creation of my tumor softie:

Step one: Decide on a shape and cut out all the pieces. I kept it simple and chose to make a triangular softie with a circular/ovular bottom. I created the patterns on paper with a compass and ruler. Also cut out the same shapes in an iron-on interfacing.



Step 2: Iron (or baste if you prefer) the interfacing to the fabric.

Step 3: Embroider the face. I added felt ovals for the whites of the eyes and small red buttons for the pupil. Then I embroidered the eyebrow with a full strand of brown embroidery floss. Finally, I added the mouth which I made from white felt and then embroidered the teeth with black floss.





Step 4: Sew on some yarn for the veins. I had a variegated yarn that was red and blue that worked well for that. I used a couching method to attach the yarn.

Step 5: Sew the sides together. Sew the bottom onto the sides, allowing a small opening for the filling.

Step 6: Stuff the tumor to the desired fullness and then stitch the opening. I finished the tumor with a whip stitch so that it would sit a little better. Sorry the picture is a bit blurry.



I also got a great jar at Hobby Lobby and put the tumor in the jar. I used a make-your-own ink jet rub-on decal kit and I labeled the jar with "Biological Sample" and some silly information about the tumor. Unfortunately I gave the tumor to my friend before I got a picture of the completed tumor in the jar.

Election Night

Today is election night. I decided to celebrate our great democracy with a patriotic pizza. Someone had a lot of olives on their slice!

Halloween 2008

Ahhhh Halloween! My most favorite of holidays. Here are a few costumes from years past.

Halloween 2001 - Scooby Doo



Halloween 2005 - American Gothic



Halloween 2006 - Zombie and Scientist (I ran out of time that year)



This year I had a hard time deciding what I should be. I wanted a costume where I was something inanimate, so I finally settled on sushi. When I looked for ideas on the internet, I realized my idea was not that original. There were so many great ideas! There was a little boy who as a giant sushi roll, a woman who dressed as sushi, and finally the sushi hats in last year's Halloween Make: Magazine. I liked the sushi hat idea the best since the woman who made the little boy's sushi roll costume gave instructions and it appeared that it would take a long time.

I do subscribe to Make: Magazine and in last year's special Halloween issue there were instructions on how to make the shrimp sushi hat. However, I liked the roe hat. So here are my instruction for making the roe hat.

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Supplies

Hat Box
Small Christmas ornaments (not glass) or something small and round
Orange spray paint
Hot glue gun and glue
White cotton fabric
Polyfill
Green fabric (I used a green vinyl)
Black riboon

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Procedure

Step 1: Glue together the Christmas ornaments with hot glue. You can use the lid of the box as a guide for the size of circle you will require. I found these small plastic Christmas ornaments at Hobby Lobby.

Step 2: Paint the roe orange.





Step 3: Cut a hole in the hat box slightly larger than your head. This took some effort even after I created a grid. The key is to slowly cut away the box and then fit it to your head as you go. Since your head is not really circular, you may find that you have a front and back to the hat. Be sure to mark the box if you do. I also found the box at Hobby Lobby.





Step 4: Line the hole with something comfortable. I chose to use backer rod that is normally used to fill cracks. I did have to split the backer rod with scissors so that it fit around the cut edge of the box. It was very comfortable to wear. Be sure to check that the box still fits on your head once the backer rod is in place. You can find backer rod at any hardware store.



Step 5: Cover the bottom of the box with the white cotton material. I glued the material onto the sides of the box with hot glue. If your head-hole is a little too large, the fabric will help to ensure that your head does not push completely through the head-hole.



Step 6: Cover the side with the green fabric. I used this fabulous vinyl that I found at Joann's. It really looked like Nori.



Step 7: Sew a round pillow that will fit into the top of the hat. This is what the roe will sit on. Stuff the pillow with the polyfill, but be sure not to add too much.

Step 8: Glue pillow into top of hat.

Step 9: Glue roe onto the top of the hat.

Step 10: Add ribbon to the sides of the hat by gluing it underneath the vinyl. Make sure to fit the hat to your head to find the most comfortable position before attaching the ribbon. You're done!



I also sewed a kimono since the hat makes more sense with the appropriate attire. I found the kimono costume from JoAnn's. It was Simplicity 4080 . This costume required a LOT of fabric. Five yards for the brocade, five yards for the lining, and then several more yards of a contrasting brocade. As sewers know, those brocades are not cheap! The length of this costume was also challenging. Since I did not have a table that was big enough to work on it, I did most of the work on the floor.

I forgot to get pictures of the final costume, so when I get the pictures from my friends I will post it then. Unfortunately, people kept wanting to touch the hat and it was ruined when I went out that evening.

We also carved our pumpkins. Here are the pictures:





They aren't really as good as last year's pumpkins.

New Skirt

As many of my friends know, I love to sew. As a result, I spend a lot of time at our local JoAnn's. There I stumbled upon a pattern for a cute 1950's skirt from the new Crafty collection from McCall's (M5631). I loved the cover and chose to make pattern view A. I picked out some pretty cotton fabrics that I got from both JoAnn's and Hobby Lobby. Since I followed the pattern exactly, I will not put the details here. However, here is the final result:



Generally I like to wear skirts that are just above the knee or maybe slightly below. This skirt did hit below, but the combination of the length and the fullness, just didn't look quite as I imagined it. I think this skirt might look better on someone taller (I am 5'4"). Also this skirt had both pleats and gathering, which is a bit strange.

After browsing the internet, someone else made this skirt and suggested trying McCall's M5390 . Perhaps I will try that next time.

Database Design

This spring I took a class on database design for my job and what a handy skill that has turned out to be! I decided to create a database in Access for my home business. With this database I will be able to track the same basic information that all businesses should track: purchases, sales, and inventory. The same information can be tracked in Excel, but learning Access is truly handy since data can be related and centralized in one location.

Here is a general breakdown of each unit.

PURCHASES
- included all purchases that I make for the business
- tracks vendors that I purchase from and sell to

INVENTORY
- tracks all consumable supplies in my possession
- allows me to see what I have on hand, when I purchased something, and from where
- tracks finished products and what supplies and labor are put into each one

SALES
- tracks all sales of products that I make.
- tracks my customers, where I sold a product, and how much it sold for

Here is the general diagram of relationships for my database:



It seems more complicated then it is, but each box represents a table in access and each line in the box represents a field of data that I collect. If you prefer Excel, each box can be a separate spreadsheet.

Now I will begin the long and arduous process of filling in the inventory.

Craft Room Design

Like any crafter, at any given moment I am working on a hundred projects. Unfortunately, I have a hard time following through and finishing up my projects. I usually make purchases without any specific project in mind. I stash these supplies away for a rainy day and on occasion, I might start a project. Afters years of being an avid crafter (most would say from birth), working two years at Hobby Lobby, five years of working in a bead store, and owning several home craft businesses, I have managing to collect a enviable cache of goodies. Too bad I won't be able to come to my own estate sale!

Anyway, one of the many projects under construction in my house is the creation of my craft room. Since my leg is unusable for the next few weeks, I figured this would be a good time to start the design of this room. However, even as flighty as I am, I realize that good craft room design starts with an inventory of your supplies. It is important to know what kinds of supplies you have in stock and what kinds of supplies you might get in the future. Once I have the inventory completed, I can decided how to store my supplies and what makes the most sense for that small space.

Simple Bathroom Curtains

As many of you know, when I am not crafting, I am probably working in my old house. In fact, more often than not, I am crafting something for my old house. As much as I enjoy making things, I enjoy making things that are useful. So here is a shameless plug for my other blog:

www.somethingoldisnew.blogspot.com

The fun of owning your own house is decorating it to your tastes. However, if you choose a color palette that is not "trendy", it is sometimes hard to find coordinating interior design options. In the case of my bathroom, we had a tile floor that was blue (the previous owner's choice, not mine), bronze fixtures, a green shower curtain, and purple walls. I was particularly fond of the shower curtain with its green and white dandelion silhouettes that I purchased from Target.

The problem came when I could not find any curtains that coordinated with the bathroom colors or that simply appealed to me. In general, I would say that my style is contemporary/eclectic. I like clean, simple designs, and straight, neat edges. But the bathroom needed curtains, not just for style, but also for privacy. After mulling it over, it occurred to me to just buy another matching shower curtain and make my curtains from that.

I envisioned a simple, flat curtain, somewhat similar to the shower curtain. However, after cutting the fabric and sewing it into a basic, square curtain set, I realized it did not hang like I had wanted it to. In order to make it hang properly, I folded it accordion style and secured each fold with a few stitches on the machine. I then took some curtain clips and hung them on every other fold. The result was a cute matching curtain set.

It soon became apparent that the curtains did not stay as tightly closed as we wanted them to. After all, a bathroom is where people want some privacy! Brice suggested that I sew a snap on them so that they offer more privacy. For the sake of convenience and a one-handed operation, the snap morphed into some sort of a magnetic closure. However, I felt both these closures might be a unsightly and finally settled on the simple and stylish button.

I used a Jade donut and a small, yellow, flower button to create a decorative closure with a simple loop. Now the curtains stay closed and remain stylish!

These curtains are similar to the pleated curtain styles, but updated to be a little more modern. However, the pleats may have to be ironed with heavy starch as the bathroom humidity can soften the folds with time.


If you want to attempt your own home decorating project, curtains are a great start. The are generally square, can be made out of a variety of fabrics, and can be completed in only a few hours. These curtains took about 2 hours to make (much of which was pressing the seams) and cost about $30 ($20 for the extra shower curtain and $10 for the curtain clips). I also have quite a bit of extra material left over for another project, and I can't stress how much I love that shower curtain fabric!

Laptop Bag

I recently purchased a laptop and was disappointed at the selection of commercial laptop bags. So I decided that I would make my own.

I found a pattern from Simplicity (Simplicity 4391) that I figured would work. It is always easiest to use a tried and true pattern before you go out on your own. I chose pattern "B" the messenger bag. The pattern looks great, but does not have enough padding. I also left off the embellishments on the exterior of the bag, since I had chosen a fabric that already had a busy pattern.

I chose upholstery fabric for both the exterior of the bag and the lining. Upholstery fabric has great designs and is very durable. Unfortunately, home furnishing fabrics are pretty pricey and often have minimums that exceed what is needed for most small projects. Luckily, I found the bag fabric in the bargain bin at my local Joann's Fabrics. The design was cute and the price was right. The lining was a cheap, coordinating home furnishing fabric from Joann's as well.

For the interfacing, I used a a thick neutral canvas. However, for padding, the pattern recommended stiff, non-fusible interfacing. I felt that this would be insufficient for protecting the computer. Instead I chose a thicker quilting batting. If I did it over again, I would probably recommend something even more heavy duty, such as a thick foam.

After cutting out the pieces instructed by the pattern, I began by basting the interfacing onto the fabric.

Then I added a magnetic clasp to the interior of the bag bottom and the bag lid. By sewing the clasp in now, it will be hidden by the lining and will appear to close the bag like magic. The magnetic clasps are a little difficult to sew on, since you have to sew through the plastic, and you need to sure that the measurements meet up accurately. If you want a bag that is more adjustable, the pattern recommends a series of Velcro strips to close the bag. This is handy if you are not sure how full the bag will be. **

** For those that might be concerned about using a magnet near their computer, this is a very weak magnetic and should not damage the hard drive.

The next step is to sew the sides of the bags together and secure a small piece of strapping with "D hooks" at each seam. If you are using nylon strapping, you can melt the ends to prevent fraying.

Sew the bottom of the bag together and press in the appropriate folds with your iron.

Sew the "lid" of the bag onto the bottom.

Set the bag aside and begin sewing the interior pockets. This pattern has a fantastic pocket configuration, with one pocket that zips up and can hold your mouse, cords, etc...

Attach the pocket to the lining and attach the lining to the bag.

But wait! Before you sew it all together, you should add the lining. As I said before, I chose to used a thick quilting batting. However, I would use something even thicker in the future, such as foam. If you are using something this thick, you should adjust the size of the lining, so that there is not a lot of slack in the interior of the bag.

I sewed the lining together, then stuffed it between the lining and the exterior of the bag. Here is a picture of the lining before it was put into the bag.

The final step is to add the bag strap.

Here is the finished product...

Men's Sweater

For my inaugural post, I wanted to post some pictures of a sweater I knitted for my boyfriend Brice. I got this pattern in the Fall 2007 Interweave Knits catalog (Cobblestone Pullover). It is a really simple pattern and good for an intermediate knitter (knitting in the round, a lot of patience, etc.). I chose a yarn that I found at Michael's called Patton's SWS in natural moss 70242 (Patton's Natural Moss 70242). This yarn is 70% wool/30% soy blend. I thought that might minimize the scratchiness of wool, but Brice still thinks the sweater is itchy.

Rave Review?

After I completed the sweater, I asked Brice to wear it to Thanksgiving dinner at his sister's house. When we arrived his sister eyeballed the sweater and then asked if someone had made it for him. Hmmmm...

Strange Coincidence?

Shortly after that, we took a walk around our tiny little town of 5,000 people. We crossed by a man raking his yard...in a sweater...a Cobblestone Pullover...in a green natural moss color. After doing several takes, I laughed as I imagined a bunch of men whose wives and girlfriends knitted them a sweater and forced them to wear it.

So I checked online and lo and behold...

It appears that many women have made their loved ones model a sweater on their blogs. I like the red one best.

So here is a picture of Brice standing by our unfinished dining room door.

We decided to change his identity, so he wouldn't be "that guy" modeling his girlfriend's sweater.